National Hunting and Fishing Day, 2009

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Part VIII

The President

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Proclamation 8421--National Hunting and Fishing Day, 2009

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8421 of September 22, 2009

National Hunting and Fishing Day, 2009

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

From atop Pikes Peak to the shores of the James River,
Americans celebrate the great abundance and utility of
our natural resources. Since our Nation's founding,
hunters and anglers have cherished these unparalleled
natural gifts and marveled at their untamed beauty.
National Hunting and Fishing Day recognizes the
contributions of millions of Americans who continue to
engage in these ageless pursuits.

Following in the centuries-old footsteps of the
pioneers who walked before them, hunters and anglers
have played a key role in the conservation and
restoration of numerous species and their natural
habitats. They not only understand their pivotal role
as stewards of the land, but also seek to pass on this
honored tradition to future generations.

As our citizens continue to enjoy our Nation's natural
resources, we must remember that this privilege brings
great responsibility. Not long ago, hunting threatened
the extinction of the American Bison, an enduring
symbol of the American West. Today, their population
has recovered because of the cooperative efforts of
conservationists and hunters. Many species, however,
still require our protection. We can no longer look to
our wilderness, as some once did, as land full of
unlimited bounty and surplus. Recognizing the need for
conservation, our hunters and anglers have worked hard
to manage local ecosystems where wildlife remain, as
well as to protect those areas where they are slowly
re-establishing viable populations.

Our national character, always evolving, finds its
foundation in those timeless American ideals of
freedom, fairness, and self-sustainability. Today's
hunters and anglers bring this spirit to life in the
forests and streams they visit. If not for America's
great hunters and anglers, like President Theodore
Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold, our Nation would not enjoy
sound game management; a system of ethical, science-
based game laws; and an extensive public lands estate
on which to pursue the sports. On National Hunting and
Fishing Day, we celebrate their contributions to our
natural environment and our national heritage.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim September 26, 2009,
as National Hunting and Fishing Day. I call upon the
people of the United States to recognize this day with
appropriate programs and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord
two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
fourth.